‘Never stop writing, never ever. With every word, sentence, and chapter you will only get better.’ – E. J. Mellow

‘Write every day. Even if it is just a sentence or two. If you allow yourself to fall off the wagon, life will start to encroach on your craft. One day of no writing will turn into a weekend, then a week, then a month. So write every damn day.’ – Sophie Elaine Hanson

‘Never stop writing. Write about your experiences. Write about your dreams. Write about unforgettable moments. Embed a piece of yourself in your story to make it authentic. Make it real. Channel your emotions into writing to create something that is completely and utterly you.’ – Christine Rees

‘Write every day. Finish the book. Without that, you have nothing to edit, cover and promote.’ – Jessica Hawkins

‘Don’t stop writing! Even if you need to write about why you don’t want to write today.’ – Maldivian Stephen

‘Writing is the only way to get better. It’s like any sport. The more you do it, the better you become. I write 500 words minimum, 5 days a week. It’s a routine you have to get yourself into.’ – Justin Chasteen

‘Just write. Even if you think it’s going nowhere. Even if you think it stinks. Even if you’re convinced that no one in their right mind would ever, ever want to read it. Because you certainly can’t prove yourself wrong unless you try.’ – Lindsey Ouimet

‘First you must write. Get it on paper. I’ve found that if and when new writers read all these how-to books and articles, they freeze up. They’re so scared of doing it “wrong” or making a mistake, they can’t write at all. So don’t read that stuff. Just write.’ – M. Pepper Langlinais

Read more

‘Read a lot. And I mean A LOT. Read in and out of your genre. Know what books, plots, and characters are out there.’ – Emily R. King

‘Reading has shaped my writing voice and style, and it has helped me navigate through some tough times in my life.’ – Hoang Chi Truong

‘Read! You cannot become a writer without reading. Read both inside and outside of your genre but don’t waste time reading books you don’t enjoy.’ – Jodi Gibson

‘Reading made me want to write. I had the gift of wonderful English teachers in high school who inspired me to read. Writing was as natural an afterthought as breathing in and then breathing out.’ – Kathryn Berla

‘Be fussy with what you read; aim to read as many books as possible by accomplished authors so you can learn the craft of writing while also reading.’ – Nadia L. King

‘Write for yourself before any others. Write what you love and what motivates you. There’s an authenticity that emerges when we allow ourselves to tell the stories we want to tell, the way we want to tell them.’ – Rachel Rust

‘There’s always room for unique, well-written self-published books. There’s no end to the different takes on new and old tropes, so as long as you identify your voice early on and stay on message, you can carve out a following for yourself.’ – Jessica Hawkins

‘Highlight whatever makes you unique. Write the story only you can tell. Different is good. Weird is better.’ – Megan Gaudino

‘There were times in the past when I was so lost, I couldn’t decide what voice I wanted to bring into my stories. In the end, I write the only voice I know, my own.’ – E. Mellyberry

‘Writing is my release. When life gets tough, it lifts me. When life is good, it enhances my happiness. It allows me to explore worlds I could never touch with my hands; to comb through thoughts I could never vocalize.’ – Sophia Elaine Hanson

‘Writing has become a way of life for me and I never want to stop.’ – Nadia L. King

‘Writing began as a therapeutic escape from my preteen troubles but morphed into a vision fueled by calling, determination and stubbornness.’ – Caroline George

Embrace the fact that you are your biggest advocate. Don’t be afraid of it. While you will come across wonderful supporters along the way, it will always come down to you to advocate for your work.

Rae del Bianco is a former teenage cattle rancher, Duke University Robertson Scholar, and alumna of literary magazine Tin House’s summer workshop. With her debut novel releasing this year, she talks about building a strong social media following and being fearless above all else.

Don’t give up. Whatever obstacle is in your way right now, make it your life’s mission to overcome it. I promise, it will be worth it. Your story is worth it.

Ontario-based author Jessi Elliott writes ‘swoon-worthy romance with a dash of sass’. We catch up with her to talk about the steep learning curve of publishing, finding a critique partner through Twitter and juggling full-time work with book marketing.

Don’t be afraid to write crap. We all do it, and it’s always a weird, somewhat painful process but that’s how you learn and how you get better.

Michigan-based YA author Kim Chance didn’t always know she was meant to be a writer but once she put pen to paper she found she couldn’t stop. We chat with her about how to make your debut novel release a success, improving your writing and the role of literary agents.

I’ve come close to giving up many times because making it as a writer isn’t easy, but persistence is key. If I gave up when things got hard or when it was getting harder and harder to find new readers, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

Mandi Lynn started writing her first novel at thirteen, and at the young age of seventeen, Essence, hit the press. Now working on her third novel, she joins WildMind Creative to talk about about finding your writer tribe through social media, perseverance and dreaming big.

It’s so easy to get caught up in everyone’s highlight reels on social media and to feel like you’re not good enough, you’re not doing enough, you should be marketing more, you should be writing more, you should be editing more . . . Trust me when I say that YOU ARE DOING ENOUGH. YOU ARE ENOUGH. Don’t compare your journey with anyone else’s because it’s supposed to be unique and beautiful to you. Don’t rob yourself of that experience. Please. It’s one of the best ones you’ll ever have, I promise.

Words of inspiration from Kristen Martin, best-selling indie author, YouTuber, podcaster and writing coach. We chat to Kristen about individuality in the creative process, incorporating book marketing into your daily routine and her top tips for reaching more readers.

You cannot let the need to be good stop you from trying. A lot of my content is garbage when it first comes out, but I am willing to stare the garbage in the face and make it better.

Los Angeles-based author Taylor Jenkins Reid worked in film casting before deciding to pursue her love of storytelling. She talks to us about building a supportive community of author friends, how bookstagrammers and bloggers have been invaluable in promoting her work and keeping to a tight publishing schedule.

It doesn’t matter when, it doesn’t matter how, but you have to make time to write consistently if you want to get enough momentum to make it all the way through a book, let alone polish it to the point that anyone would want to read it.

Author and publishing consultant Andrea Dunlop wanted to be a writer for as long as she could remember. It took a confronting conversation with Irish author Polly Devlin to push her on to create a regular writing practice and finally publish. Now with her second novel nearing publication, she talks to us about the importance of patience in publishing, bringing a sense of place to writing and seeing your author career as a long-term game.

There’s always room for unique, well-written self-published books. There’s no end to the different takes on new and old tropes, so as long as you identify your voice early on and stay on message, you can carve out a following for yourself.

Amazon best-selling author Jessica Hawkins writes to ‘move others’ in a way that is both provocative and inspiring. Having recently published her thirteenth book she talks to us about guarding against ‘hermit’ mode, outsourcing for effectiveness and staying in touch with your writing goals.

The percentage of authors that explode in the market right out of the gate is very low. We all secretly hold onto hope that we’ll be an overnight success, and while it’s okay to keep that little dream nugget close to your chest, it’s best to have a solid plan built for readership reach as well.

Award winning author E.J Mellow on how a high school fairytales class inspired her to start writing, recommendations for securing an agent and the importance of reviews in increasing readership.